"After Delay, Dem Allies Join Health Care Fight"

[Clio the Leo]

After Delay, Dem Allies Join Health Care Fight

March 15, 2010 11:23 AM

By Reid Wilson

House Dem leaders will have new incentives to win over vulnerable members reconsidering their health care votes as a host of party allies prepare to launch a barrage of new ads supporting the reform effort.
The new ad spending, led by groups as diverse as SEIU, PhRMA, MoveOn.org and the Consumers Union, will counter millions the Chamber of Commerce and other GOP allies have spent over the last week -- an amount that had some Dems worrying their allies had abandoned the fight.

Beginning tomorrow, Dem allies are rejoining the battle. Americans For Stable Quality Care, a pro-reform group that pairs progressive organizations like Families USA with PhRMA, will launch a $12M ad blitz. SEIU, AFSCME, Health Care for America Now and MoveOn.org are also launching its own TV campaign, to the tune of $2.1M.

Americans United for Change is targeting African American communities with $485K in radio and TV ad buys. The National Women's Law Center, Doctors for America and other groups are also joining the fight this week. All told, Dem allies expect to spend about $15M on ads this week alone, approximately equal to the amount reform opponents have spent over the past 2 weeks.

Both sides have spent hundreds of millions to influence public opinion over the past year, but Dems worried their side was being outspent in the critical final week. Speaker Nancy Pelosi and WH senior advisor David Axelrod have been most instrumental in convincing Dem allies to step up their efforts on vulnerable incumbents' behalf.

"Collectively, people aren't surprised that the industry, when it comes to an issue that is near and dear to their hearts, spends a lot of resources to try and defeat it," said Tom McMahon, executive director at Americans United for Change.

During the course of what Dems hope is the final week of the health care push, the Chamber of Commerce has spent millions in ads targeting specific members. Ads are airing in 17 states targeting 27 Dems who voted for the bill and 13 who opposed it, and the Chamber has already spent $11M on their latest campaign, with more to come.

Dems need to be able to convince wavering members they won't be buried under an avalanche of anti-health care ads if they vote for final passage. Incumbents like Reps. Jason Altmire (D-PA), John Boccieri (D-OH) and Betsy Markey (D-CO), all of whom voted against the first version of the bill, need to be reassured they will have allies on their side if they switch positions.

http://hotlineoncall.nationaljournal.com/archives/2010/03/after_delay_dem.php

[Cha]

1. I was reading "tom delay" and

trying to make sense of that:silly: Someone who doesn't leave your nightmares anytime soon.

[Clio the Leo]

2. Esp. after you've seen him do the samba...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUqL3_uCD4Q

[Cha]

3. No thaaaanks.

[Jennicut]

6. Please, not the horror again!

Yes, I watch that show and enjoy it (American Idol as well, I am going to DU hell). But that was the most disturbing thing ever to occur on that show. Or tv, ever.

[jwirr]

4. The holdouts needed to get their sound bites filmed for the election.

Now they can go home and say "We did our best but it just did not work."

[AlinPA]

5. The only ads running here are from the Chamber of Commerce, telling people to

"Call Jason Altmire (D) and thank him for voting for American jobs..." The ad runs at least 4 times an hour here in W. PA on the channel we usually watch. I believe the other 2 channels transmit it as well.

Ads in favor of the HCR are too damn late now.

[Jennicut]

7. Ads in CT have been back and forth between positive and negative.